At times, it is said that the variations among us are what keeps the world in motion. We come to understand that we inhabit a diverse world, and occasionally, it is necessary to overlook the disparities and recognize the beauty in our similarities.
One distinction that is occasionally observed is when an individual is born with special needs. While this can manifest in various ways, a specific example is when an individual is born with Down syndrome.
Kennedy Garcia is exactly such a girl. When she was born in Colorado Springs, doctors recommended placing her in an institution, asserting that, due to Down syndrome, her quality of life would be low. The prognosis given to the parents wasn’t optimistic; they were told she would require adult diapers and suggested she would fare better in a specialized institution.
Refusing to accept this bleak outlook, Kennedy’s mother, Renée, believed the doctors weren’t providing the whole truth. Consequently, she promptly dismissed them from the hospital room. Renée was determined not to give up on her baby, confident that she could nurture her into a remarkable individual.
These days, not only is the daughter doing well, she is thriving. Kennedy has been in dance competitions, has been a top model for various brands, and has even fought cancer and overcame leukemia.
Renée said: “The night Kennedy arrived, I was heartbroken to learn she had the condition because I was being fed nothing but a negative, bleak picture painted by doctors and nurses who had no idea what my child‘s future held.
“It was only the next night when a kind midwife told me Kennedy was beautiful and just like her daughter, who also had the condition, that I felt a glimmer of hope.
“The first thing I asked was if her daughter could walk because I didn’t know what having the condition meant, and she just laughed. Her daughter was 16 and of course, she could walk.”
You never know what an individual is capable of doing until they have the opportunity to do it. Kennedy is more than someone who overcame the odds, she is an inspiration to all of us.